


The Spring Festival

by ETex



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Dancing, Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Heavy Angst, Trauma, light blood and gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-02
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2019-06-01 09:05:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15139754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ETex/pseuds/ETex
Summary: The entire district seemed to be out for the upcoming festival, a large crowd of people were gathered around a small band as they played a sweet happy melody, and in the middle of it all was a group of citizens dancing and swaying to the cheerful music. Flower crowns and bracelets were wrapped around their arms, laughing brightly and throwing petals at the cheering crowd. And right there in the middle, dancing with an older woman, was Lucille.(Following the events from book XIII during Julian's route. Warning just in case as death is described.)





	The Spring Festival

As Julian walked back to his clinic from the palace he let out a long exasperated sigh, his coat was tied around his waist and his gloves shoved in his pockets as he walked through the sunny idealic district. It truly was beautiful here now spring had arrived, the vines growing on the walls were sprouting flowers and people were walking around with crowns made of wild daisies as the flower festival soon approached the city, but alas Julian’s attention was not on the beautiful surroundings as he trudged his way back to the poorer districts.

The count seemed to get worse every day; not just with his condition but with his attitude, demanding more and more attention from him when he had a plague to cure. Every time Nadia had called him to the counts quarters she gave him the same sympathetic look and hushed apologises but he did not blame her, in fact he felt for her as she was the one who had to deal with the counts constant whining. He could see her mask crack every so often as the count belittled Julian and Asra and screamed at terrified servants, her barely restrained rage shining in her crimson eyes before taking a deep breath and composing herself. She wasn’t the only one either, if Asra’s dark looks could kill the count would already be in his grave and Julian would finally be free to help the people of Vesuvia instead of this toxic man. Occasionally, when they would leave the count, they would stay together during the evening, resting on the balcony overlooking the city drinking wine and making snide comments about Lucio. Sometimes he would feel cruel about it, after all he was suppose to be saving Lucio’s life (which so far was not going well despite the amount of hours he has spent pouring over the pouting count) but then he sees a servant girl leave the quarters in tears and his pity for the man would vanish from him.

But today he could not stay with his friends; he had made plans to meet with Lucille back at the clinic to go over today’s remedies. This morning he had to ask her to walk around the market district and give out the new vials of medicine he hoped would stave off the plague seeing as he couldn’t give them out himself, so far none of it had been successful but it didn’t stop them trying. Lucille’s determination in the face of failure was the only thing that kept him going sometimes, after every unsuccessful attempt she would march back to Asra’s magic store to get more ingredients to try yet again to find the right cocktail of herbs and plants. She was even growing her own small collection of magical herbs within the clinic, the bright green plants sprouting quickly in the pots outside of the clinics windowsill under her care and attention. He had always been wary of magic, especially since coming to know the count and the awful things he would practise, but with her and Asra it was different. They would discuss it in detail and Julian listened in fascination as the two worked together, their magic weaving as one and into the potions they created. He had even started to notice the little differences between their magic, Asra’s was like a bright wave of light while Lucille's looked like warm golden tendrils. Her eyes seemed to glitter with it as she hovered over the cauldron, her nose wrinkling in concentration as she gently stirred the mixture and whispered hushed spells under her breath. It was rather beautiful to watch...

 

He was shaken out of his trance as a group of children rushed past him, almost knocking him into the wall. Julian watched the children laugh and shout, bundles of flowers clutched in their arms and mud staining their ragged looking clothing. He couldn’t help but smile as they ran past, leaving a small trail of petals in their wake. His heart ached as he remembered doing something similar with Pasha; her little legs trying to keep up with him as they trecked through their village. Julian let out another long sigh and continued his journey back to the clinic, his heart heavy with memories and worry.

When he got back to the clinic he opened the door and peered around, there was no sign of his apprentice. He walked in and looked around for any trace of her, he couldn't find her shoes and the basket he’d loaded with the vials was no where to be seen so she must still be out. He checked the sundial resting by the window and narrowed his eyes in concern when he saw the time, it was mid afternoon... she should have been back by now. Julian walked back out the clinic and looked around, hoping to see her cropped blonde hair or long skirts somewhere down the side streets but he saw nothing. He chose an alley and walked down it, craning his neck over the groups of people to try and see her. 

As Julian made his way down the narrow side streets he saw a couple sipping from vials, the exact ones he had bottled this morning. He approached the two women hurriedly and asked them about Lucille; they smiled and pointed him towards the centre of the district where he could hear music faintly echoing from. He thanked the two and started to walk towards the melody, his pace faster now but his worry settled.

He could see large groups of people covered in petals walking towards him, laughing and smiling brightly with small glass vials in their hands, as they saw him they gave him their thanks and tried to pay him or offer gifts. He refused as he usually did but accepted hugs and handshakes, smiling warmly as a father with a small child clasped him on the back. Julian knew he should be more careful; he used to wear his mask around the districts constantly, always on edge when a person would cough near him or sniffle. But as time went on he cared less, he was working so closely with the plague that there was no point in taking protective measures, it didn’t help that Lucille point blank refused to wear any mask or gloves. She didn’t want to scare people or separate herself from them she said.

“Looking like a plague doctor is making people more afraid and there is already too much fear in the air,” She would say, her face unreadable as she watched patients leave the clinic.

After being stopped multiple times Julian finally made his way into the centre of town and his eyes widened at the sight before him. The entire district seemed to be out for the upcoming festival, a large crowd of people were gathered around a small band as they played a sweet happy melody, and in the middle of it all was a group of citizens dancing and swaying to the cheerful music. Flower crowns and bracelets were wrapped around their arms, laughing brightly and throwing petals at the cheering crowd. And right there in the middle, dancing with an older woman, was Lucille.

 

Her basket had been forgotten, it was empty now and tossed near the edge of the circle of dancers, and her skirts flying in the air as she span around with the other woman, their hands clasped together as they spun in the circle then separated. She was laughing loudly, her face red from dancing and her legs wobbled from dizziness, she was caught by a man behind her and she continued to dance with the crowd. They hopped around the edge of the circle, a formation of dancers taking form and partners span and jumped together in time to the music. It was different to the elegant waltz that those at the palace parties would follow; the energy was electric and the pace fast. He preferred this he thought as he watched a couple of children join the circle with their parents, their movements more clumsy but smiling brightly as their parents showed them the steps. 

Julian made his way through the audience watching the dancers, they parted for him once they recognised the doctor and smiled brightly at him but his attention was focused on Lucille. He reached the edge of the crowd and watched; she was lead around by the man who had caught her before, as she neared him she saw Julian and her eyes widened momentarily before giving him an almost blinding smile. She separated from her partner and curtsied, snorting loudly as another man quickly took her place and waving them off as they spun together. Lucille weaved her way through the dancers until she got to Julian, he couldn’t help but grin at her as she stood in front of him and crossed his arms.

“I see your enjoying your day,” He said, barely audible above the music but she leaned in close to hear him. He felt his ears tinge pink as she stepped into his personal space, the tips of her shoes between his boots. Their height difference was almost comical, her head reaching his upper chest and she had to crane her neck up to make eye contact with him, but he loved it. She smiled another bright toothy smile and took his folded hand in hers, it was warm in comparison to his own clammy hand and he felt the flush of red creep towards his cheeks.

“What can I say, I was handing out the medicine and just got caught up in the music,” She laughed, joy making her eyes crease, “I truly love this festival. But enough about me; how’s Lucio? Any improvement?”

His face fell at the mention of the counts name, he had completely forgotten about his disastrous morning the moment he saw her. Julian gave a quick shake of his head, his auburn hair falling in front of his face. Lucille’s smile fell a little, her eyes seemingly gazing over as she retreated back into her own mind, after a moment she sighed and squeezed his hand. They both just stood there, their eyes saying more than words could in that moment. While their priority was the people’s health and not the counts they had still spent evenings pouring over old texts and manuals trying to figure out what was wrong with Lucio, yet every time they thought they were close their attempts to heal the count had failed. Julian hated seeing the happiness leave her face, he didn’t want to ruin her afternoon with his problems... but he could fix this.

 

Julian let go of her hand and untied his coat from his waist, he threw it towards her discarded basket and wrapped his hand around Lucille’s again before he walked around her back into the path of the dancers, they had to stop mid hop not to run into him and he smiled sheepish at them as they regained their balance and shot back off, but not without giving him a glare. He turned to see Lucille chortle, her eyes shining with curiosity as he pulled her into the circle with him.

“You know I learned this dance to blend into the crowd when I was tasked with rescuing my fellow pirates, I wound myself through the crowd perfectly if I do say so myself. Shall I show you?” He said, a smug smile pulling at his lips.

Lucille rolled her eyes at him, well used to his dramatic retellings by now, but her eyes sparkled with glee as she stepped towards him. He brought her close and wrapped his free hand around her waist and for a second he thought he saw her cheeks turn a deeper shade of red as their chests met. But it disappeared as she reached up to place her hand on his shoulder, she lifted her head and shook her golden hair out of her eyes and gave him a cheeky grin.

“Why doctor,” She purred, “I’d be honoured,”

It was his turn to flush again, much to her glee, and off they went. Together they moved with the other dancers, pulling and pushing each other to the ever-playing music, although the tune was faster now and more people from the congregation joined into dance. They were nudged by the bodies of other people brushing past them but neither noticed, too wrapped up in each other to pay any mind to the giggling mass of people. He felt her skirts whip around him as he span her in a circle, her hand clutched in his as he brought her back to him a little too energetically, she collided with his chest and they both let out an 'oof' sound as Julian almost tumbled backwards. He managed to catch himself in time but wrapped both hands around her waist to stop her fall; she in turn had her arms wrapped around his neck. She was laughing into the material of his shirt, her big brown eyes looking up at him in amusement and he snorted along with her.

They were in the middle of the circle of dancers now, standing still amongst the flurry of movement, too caught up in staring at each other. Julian could feel her chest taking in deep breaths at the excursion but he was more drawn to face, being so close to her he could see all the individual freckles scattered around her face as well as the yellow and orange flecks around her warm eyes. Her lips were curled upwards and he was suddenly caught by the urge to kiss her. As if knowing this Lucille brought her hands from his shoulder to his cheeks, he couldn’t help but lean into her warm touch and sigh contentedly. Her breath caught in her chest and she gently stroked the pale skin beneath her fingers, she brought one hand up to brush his hair back behind his ear and beamed up at him. 

“You’re amazing,” Julian blurted out, unable to stop the praise from leaving his lips.

“You... you really think so?” Lucille breathed back, her eyes searching his.

“Yes, I... I’ve never met anyone like you, Lucille you mean the world to me,” He replied in a hushed tone, his hand leaving her waist to trace her round cheek.

“Then... I have a question to ask you,” She replied sweetly, bringing her hands down to his chest and Julian swore she could feel the rapid beating of his heart.

“Anything,” He responded immediately, clutching her cheek like she would disappear from his grasp.

 

Suddenly she did just that, she jerked from his grip and her face changed, the joyous expression replaced by a cold stare. She took two more long steps away from him, her eyes shining with a mix of sadness and hatred. 

“Why didn’t you save me?” She asked, her voice seeming to echo around him.

He blinked and the scene around him changed, the mob of people completely gone and silence stretched out around him. He whipped around to try and find them again but the square he stood in was empty, there weren’t even flowers any more, instead the ground was littered with ash and blood. The once brightly lit buildings were weathered and empty, doors hanging open and possessions scattered along the ground. He saw broken windows and abandoned carts, the tell tale stench of death surrounding him. He could see fires in the distance, enclosing around the buildings. He peered around the barren space and he gasped at the sight before him. 

Bodies were dumped into the corners of the square, old and young let to rot and burn, their eyes bright red with the plague and their skin a mottled grey colour. They had been tossed on top of one another like sacks and he could see the dried blood staining their mouths and hands. He took a step back in horror and shook his head, trying to get the image out of his mind but no matter how much he willed it the scene before him stayed. He felt something clutched in his hand, he looked down to see the hooked doctors mask clutched between his fingers. He dropped it in shock and watched as it clattered to the pavement, the red glass eyes staring up at him. He was so taken a back he barely heard the voice from behind him; it was weak and full of pain.

“Why didn’t you save me Ilya?” Lucille said and Julian whipped back around to face her.

Gone was the bright ample woman from his past; in her stead was a version of her he had tried to forget. Her once tanned skin was so pale it almost looked bloodless; her freckles that once littered her skin like stars in the sky had faded into non-existence. Her body was hunched over as she shook with the effort to stand, her arms wrapped around herself as she stood determinedly in front of him. But it was her face that had changed the most, she was almost hidden from him with her wild untamed mane of hair falling in-front of her face but he was drawn in by her expression, her lips were a thin trembling line and he could see blood dripping from her nose. He made eye contact and choked on a cry, her eyes... the whites of her eyes were crimson. Her once warm brown eyes were almost black in colour as she made unwavering eye contact with him, tears spilling from them as she held back sobs. 

He rushed to her but time seemed to slow around him, his legs were heavy and the more he tried to run towards her the farther away she seemed. She shook her head at him and closed her eyes for a second, the tears running down her cheeks onto her chest. Slowly she started to disappear, her body wavering in the wind and turning to ash as he tried to get to her. Her eyes flashed open and he could see pain there and her mouth opened as if to scream but there was only silence. Lucille fell to her knees but her eyes were still trained on him, even as her body disappeared into the air.

 

“No!” He cried out, tears now streaming down his own face. He pushed himself forward, his hand out stretched towards her but it was too late. 

As he reached her her body disintegrated, the only reminisce of her was the pile of ash at his feet. He fell down and dove his hands into it, willing her to come back to him. To be alive. He needed her to be alive. He needed her.

_“Julian?”_

Why didn’t he pay attention? She would leave the clinic early and he would rarely see her as he was called to the palace, why didn’t she tell him?

_“Julian,”_

He should have noticed, he should have known when she stopped visiting but he was so preoccupied with finding a cure. He left her. He left her and she died.

_“Julian!”_

 

Julian woke up with a start, cold sweat running down his back and he whipped his head around the room. Lucille was leaning over him, her hair was longer now but it was still her, worry visible on her face as she continued to shake him out of the deep sleep he had fallen into on arrival. He let out a sigh of relief whe he saw the whites of her eyes. They had just left the palace with Asra, after saving Julian from being stabbed with a scalpel as he recovered from being hanged, to meet the others at the shop. Asra had wanted to wait for everyone to arrive before answering Lucille’s questions and as soon as they stepped through the shop door Julian had felt faint. She had brought him to her room to rest and he had fallen asleep when she went out to make tea.

Relief flooded his veins and he gripped her waist, he brought her down with him and she let out a gasp as she collided beside him on the bed. Before she could react he buried his head into her neck and pulled her into him, his hands gripping her shirt to make sure she was real. After a second of confusion she brought her own arms around his back, rubbing soothing circles into the muscle and kissed his hair gently, waiting for him to work through the panic and trying to keep him calm. She whispered assurances into his hair until his shaking had passed but continued to rub his back.

He suddenly felt embarrassed, he had acted like a child awaking from a nightmare and felt his face flush with shame. He tried to remove himself from her but she held on, keeping him flushed to her. After a moment he relented and stayed pressed to her, his breathing returning to normal and he took comfort from the smell of lavender and herbs that wafted from her hair. After what seemed like a life time she pushed herself back from him, concern still shining in her eyes as she brought her hands up to cup his head.

“Nightmare?” She questioned, her eyes trying to read his.

“...Yes,” He replied softly, he decided to stare at the wall beside her instead of meeting her gaze. He didn’t want to... inform her about it. The beginning of it had been a memory; he remembered the festival and dancing with her. He had walked her back to the shop afterwards, no words spoken during the walk but she gave him a coy smile before saying goodnight and closing the store door behind her. It had been one of the last times they had enjoyed together, after that he was called more and more often to the palace and she made fewer appearances. He felt the deep pit of sadness clutch at his heart as he remembered why she had kept her distance.

Lucille watched his expression carefully and sighed, seemingly resigning herself not to ask him about it... at least for now. She prodded him in the chest and he finally looked at her, his face still red with bashfulness.

“Did I ever tell you about the time I chased a thief all the way down the market square,” She said with a grin, moving her hand into his hair to play with the curly strands, “I made so many people angry that day, I’m barely in control of my legs when walking let alone running,”

He snorted and leaned back, resting his head on the pillow and sighing as she rubbed his head.

“Colour me intrigued,” He replied with a raised eyebrow and a grin, happy to be distracted from the night terror.

“So I was minding the shop while Asra was out... doing whatever he does,” She said with a vague hand movement and he chuckled again, “and this teenager comes in asking about foxglove, which was weird but I’ve had weirder clients so I turn around for a  _second_ and he proceeds to grab one of the scrying crystals we have and bolts out the door. So I follow in a panic, and of course I trip over a box and almost smack my head into the wall,” She shook her head with annoyance and continues with her story, waving her hand to emphases parts of the tale and mocking the voices of the market stall owners.

He watched her with unrestrained affection, his hand still holding the material of her shirt to make sure she’s really in front of him. Julian makes a promise to himself right there and then as he listens to Lucille’s story that he will never let his nightmare come true again.

If he’s to be in this world for the rest of his life he will do so with his magician as his side.

**Author's Note:**

> I played the new book this morning and I'm not okay, what a twist! I had to write a story before the apprentice and Julian lost their memories of working together and decided to turn it a nightmare. Its a LOT of feelings, what can I say I love Angst.
> 
> (Sorry in advance for any mistakes in grammar and spelling, it takes me a few tries to get it right haha)


End file.
